1. Technical Field
This invention relates to shoes and specifically to shoelaces that are used to hold the shoes onto the user of a foot. A retainment knot and a releasable bow configuration is used to selectively and removably secure the ends of the shoelaces together after the lacing of the shoe and deals with the management and retainment of the tied shoelace in relation to the shoe itself.
2. Description of Prior Art
A number of prior art devices have been developed to address the issue of bow knot shoelace management which may come undone and interfere with the user, especially due to the rather increased length of modern shoelaces used on sport shoes and the like. Such devices can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,029,371, 5,293,675, 5,649,342, 5,924,177 and 6,988,289.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,371 is directed to a locking device for elastic laces in which aligned clamping teeth extend from an interlocking retainment disk through which the laces are inserted and then retained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,675 discloses fasteners for shoelaces in which a pair of apertured blocks are used in combination through which the individual laces are passed in a specific order and a block orientation to retain the laces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,342 discloses a decorative attachment for securing laces together. A hinged enclosure having retainment engagement slits which are adapted to engage the shoelaces as they are pulled therethrough.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,177 a shoelace retention device is claimed which is removably secured on the laces for retaining the blow elements thereof.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,298 a footwear lace retention device is illustrated having lace insertion pocket with a closure flap overlying same.